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Eusphyra blochii
Eusphyra blochii (''Winghead shark)' Kingdom: '''Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Carcharhiniformes Family: Sphyrnidae Genus: Eusphyra Species: Eusphyra blochii Environment: milieu, climate zone, depth range, distribution range: Marine; brackish; benthopelagic; amphidromous. Tropical; 31°N - 20°S, 47°E - 154°E. Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: Persian Gulf to the Philippines, north to China, south to Australia. Size, weight, age: Max. length: 1.86 m; weight: ?'; age: '? Short description: True to its name, the winghead shark's cephalofoil consists of a pair of long, narrow, and gently swept-back blades. The width of the cephalofoil is equal to 40–50% of the shark's total length. The front of the cephalofoil has a slight indentation in the middle and a gentle bump on each side in front of the nostrils. Each nostril is roughly twice as long as the width of the mouth and extends along almost the entire leading margin of each blade. The circular eyes, located at the forward outer corners of the cephalofoil, are equipped with protective nictitating membranes. The relatively small, arched mouth contains 15–16 upper and 14 lower tooth rows on each side, and sometimes also a single row of tiny teeth at the upper and/or lower symphyses (jaw midpoints). The teeth are small and smooth-edged, with angled triangular cusps. Five pairs of gill slits are seen, with the fifth pair over the pectoral fin origins. The body is slim and streamlined, with a very tall, narrow, and falcate (sickle-shaped) first dorsal fin that originates over the bases of the rather small pectoral fins. The second dorsal fin is much smaller and originates over the aft third of the anal fin base. The anal fin is about half again as long as the second dorsal fin. A lengthwise groove is on the caudal peduncle at the dorsal origin of the caudal fin. The upper caudal fin lobe is longer than the lower lobe, and bears a notch in the trailing margin near the tip. The skin is covered by overlapping dermal denticles, each with three horizontal ridges leading to marginal teeth. This species is brownish gray to gray above and off-white below, and lacks fin markings. It grows up to 1.9 m. Biology: Found in shallow water on continental and insular shelves. Enters estuaries. Feeds mainly on small teleost fishes but also takes crustaceans and cephalopods. Viviparous, with 6 to 25 pups in a litter. Has a remarkable wing-shaped head which is nearly or quite half of its body length, the function of which is uncertain, maybe for maneuvering or for increasing the surface area of some of the sense organs. Probably harmless to people. Caught commonly, but in low numbers, by inshore gillnet fisheries. Particularly common in catches off Kalimantan. Probably a common fisheries species where it occurs. Meat utilized for human consumption; liver is a source of vitamin oil. Offal probably utilized for fishmeal. Reported to reach 300 cm TL. Life cycle and mating behavior: Viviparous, placental, with 6 to 25 in a litter after a gestation period of 8 -11 months. Size at birth between 32 and 45 cm TL. Main reference: Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 2 - Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/2):251-655. Rome: FAO IUCN Red List Status: ENDANGERED (''EN)' '''CITES: Not Evaluated CMS: Not Evaluated Threat to humans: Harmless Human uses: Fisheries: commercial. Category:Sphyrnidae, Hammerhead, bonnethead, or scoophead sharks